Job Search: 8 Questions to Ask an Interviewer

Have you ever been stumped on what to ask an interviewer at the end of your interview? You know that awkward time when they ask if you have any questions and you say something to the effect of, "Actually, I think you answered all my questions."

That's not going to cut it if you're interviewing with an experienced interviewer (or if they read my post about Listening as an Interviewer). I touched on this topic before in How to Prep for a Virtual Interview, but thought I should expand on the topic.

I'm guessing you read the title and thought, "Great! She's going to give me a list of questions I should ask when I go for my next job interview!" Well, you're half right. I will, but I also wanted to get you thinking about what those questions mean, and what you can get out of that time with an interviewer.

  What to Think About  


Your questions of the interviewer shouldn't be "when to I start" or "how much does the job pay" or other information gathering questions. Those are fine to ask at some point, but use your time wisely to use the question portion of your interview to continue to sell yourself!

Your questions should be make the interviewer think, demonstrate understanding of the industry/market or your functional expertise, or uncover more about the job for which you're interviewing.

  7 Examples  

Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas for questions to ask interviewers. You'll see that I tagged their companies below.

1. If your interviewer will be your manager: 

Question: Describe a past manager/employee relationship that worked successfully for you.

What it Does: This question gets the interviewer to truly disclose the type of manager they are! No manager in their right mind would ever say "I micromanage my staff" but many do just that. By asking the question in this way, you get a peek into the way the prefer to operate.

2.  If the organization seems to need a change, is going through a change, or seems just hectic overall:

Question: If you could stop doing your job for 60 days and focus on one effort, what would it be and why?

What it Does: This questions serves two purposes. First, it gets the interviewer to share what they want to change or improve which shows you a window into what the team/organization is really like. Second, it gets the interviewer to think and gives them an outlet, which are both good for the impression you'll leave on them! 

3. If there is something going on in the news right now that is relevant to the industry or the functional area of the job:

Question: I've been reading about [describe the topic] in the news recently and was thinking [state your opinion]. I was hoping to get your perspective on what's going on. (or, what effect is that having on your company?)

What it Does: Three things: (a) it shows you're up on the news that's relevant to the organization, (b) it demonstrates your knowledge about that news, and (c) it gets a perspective from someone who lives and breaths that news every day (i.e., it flatters them, and shows you what they think about the situation).

4. To see what the future holds:

Question: What are you most excited about over the next 6-12 months? (submitted by Jen Dalton of Brand Mirror)

What it Does: This question will first demonstrate the interviewers passion and engagement in their job. Then it will demonstrate what is on the horizon for the organization or industry that you may not have known to ask about. As a side note, this is also a great question to ask colleagues if you feel you're getting in a rut at work. 

5. To see what challenges the company will face:

Question: What is the next big challenge you will face over the next 3-6 months? (submitted by Gail Legaspi-Gaull of Hat Trick 3C)

What it Does: It allows the interviewer to go a multitude of directions! If there is something big happening in the industry, they'll launch into something more in depth than you would have known to ask about. If something is about to occur in the company, they may share more information than if you asked a company-specific question. And finally, you may learn something more personal about the interviewer, as they may interpret the question about their career or professional growth. Essentially, the interviewer will hear that question with whatever filter is on their mind.

6. To learn what will be expected of you:

Question: If I get this job, what 3 things would you want me to have accomplished by this time next year? (submitted by Jennifer Olsen Mathissen of Catapult Marketing)

What it Does: This question is one that the interviewer has likely thought about (at least somewhat). The answer should allow you to clarify your expectations about the role.

7. If you want uncover something about the company that you wouldn't know to ask:

Question: What is the biggest difference between what you now know about your firm today, and how you perceived this firm when you were sitting in my seat interviewing for a position? (submitted by John Forsythe from Deloitte)

What it Does: This question gets the interviewer to reflect on their own past and also puts the interviewer back in the interviewee's shoes which could work in your favor (empathy). Lastly, it helps you get a glimpse into the company "behind the scenes." Hopefully, the interviewer will share something that will shed light in a way you wouldn't know otherwise.

8. To get the interviewer to level with you:

Question: What is one limiting factor in my candidacy for this position? 

What it Does: This question gives the interviewer free reign to actually mention something like "we really need someone with xx experience" or "you don't have the certification required". They may not say anything specific, but if they do, you'll walk away knowing that if you don't get the job, it may just not be the right fit for you, rather than wondering what you did wrong.

I Want to Hear From You  

What questions has someone asked you? Or what question did you get a good response from when you interviewed?

Job Search: Update to Evaluating an Offer

Something I didn't really think about the first time I posted about Evaluating a Job Offer on May 29, 2014, was the indirect benefits related to medical insurance in a new job.

  Imagine This Scenario  

Your old job has a high deductible medical insurance plan. Your new job has a normal deductible medical insurance plan.

The end result is that every time you go to the doctor, or fill a prescription, you're paying less! Sometimes a significant amount less. A friend had an allergy prescription that, on the old plan, cost $120 every time. On the new plan, he's paying $35 each time. That's just one prescription, saving $85 about 4-6 times per year. Multiply that out, times the number of prescriptions you fill in a year, and the number of times you go to the doctor.

	Old Price	New Price	Savings Per Time Filled	Times Filled Per Year	Annual Savings
Prescriptions
#1 Allergy	$120	$35	$85	5	$425
#2 Other	$50	$10	$40	7	$280
Total Prescription Savings					$705
Doctor’s Appointment Co-Pay
Annual Check-up	$50	$10	$40	1	$40
Specialist	$50	$10	$40	1	$40
Total Doctor’s Appointment Co-Pay Savings					$80
TOTAL PROJECTED SAVINGS					$785 / year

You're easily saving almost $800 a year, just because of the type of medical insurance the new job offers. You should do the same analysis for any insurance offered by one or both companies including dental and vision insurance plans.

Job Search: Evaluating An Offer

Let's say you know you're potentially receiving an offer for employment. Most people wait until they receive the offer to start thinking about what to expect. Or at best, they think through their base salary plus an annual performance bonus.

In reality, there are a number of factors that could or should be included in an offer letter. Particularly as you move up in the ranks, there are more factors that are negotiable. Having an understanding of your current position on all these factors will help you better understand what you're looking for in your next position.

  Monetary Compensation   

• Base Salary - Also, note if it's paid bi-weekly or monthly.
• Annual Performance Bonus Potential
• Signing Bonus - Understand if there's a payback period - in other words will you have to pay it back if you leave within a specified period of time.
• Retention Bonus - If your signing bonus doesn't have a payback period, you may be able to negotiate a retention bonus (e.g., if I stay for 1 year, I get an additional bonus).

  Job Information  

• Job Title
• Grade Level - This isn't relevant for everyone, but is particularly relevant in federal government, or in some very large organizations.
• Supervisor
• Supervisory/Management responsibilities
• Budgetary responsibilities
• Office Location

  Non-Working Days  

• Holidays
• Leave Days
• Sick Days - This is only relevant if sick days are separate from leave
• Comp Time - This is time that you accrue based on extra worked hours outside normal working hours. Usually this category is no longer relevant as you move into managerial positions.
• Alternative Work Schedule Options

  Timeline  

• Start date
• Date that benefits kick in - Sometimes it's on day 1, and sometimes it's not until 30 days later.
• Contract length - If this is relevant, you'll need to include it in the offer letter. This could be relevant if you're in a temporary position that could turn permanent as well.

  Equipment   

• Desktop vs. Laptop
• Cell Phone - Do they provide one? Do they pay for the plan? Are there limits on the data and phone usage?
• Car - Rare, but some firms do have cars for executives.

  Additional Details  

• Performance Review Cycle
• Performance Review Criteria
• Training Opportunities / Expectations
• Travel/Commuting Reimbursement
• Tuition Assistance Program

And here's one that you'll need to think about the first time you enter into the ranks of around a Vice President position. You'll need to inquire about a guarantee of a severance package. If you haven't been a VP before, you may not even know to ask to have this in your offer letter.

I usually recommend creating a spreadsheet with all of these factors in rows. The next column should have information about your current position, and then subsequent columns can be used to evaluate one or more offers. That way you'll have a true picture of the components of an offer.

Here's a scenario to think about. Let's say you currently make $100,000, with a 10% performance bonus option. The new offer is for $110,000 plus a 5% performance bonus. Sounds better, right?

Now think about this. What if your current job has 9 holidays and 5 weeks vacation, and the new offer only has 7 holidays with 3 weeks vacation. In order to truly know if you're getting a better deal with the new offer, you need to monetize the days off that you're no longer getting.

If you monetize the days you work, assuming you take all your days off available, you can calculate your true earnings including: Base, Performance Bonus Potential, First Year Signing Bonus, and Monetized Value of Days Off. The total shows you're ahead by about $5k.

However, keep in mind this shows you a bottom line including your signing bonus that you'll only get that first year. Even if you took out that $5000, you would still be ahead, though by very little. Additionally, you'll want to add in how much you currently pay for various benefits, and how much the new offer would have you pay. If the new medical plan options are much more expensive, keep that in mind as you make your decision.

After all this analysis, don't forget to think about the intangibles! Work environment, type of work, clients you'd get to work with, etc. Sometimes that'll help you make the decision better than all the analysis in the world.

Leadership Development: What Makes a Good Leader

First, there's a debate over what distinguishes the competencies of management vs. leadership. I view management as tactical (e.g., managing staff hours, administrative activities, etc.) where as leadership is more strategic or visionary (e.g., inspiring people to perform to their potential, growing a team, etc.).

I also believe managers are position-based where as anyone can exhibit the qualities of a leader. That said, as you move up in an organization, you need to learn what activities or competencies you need to gain and which ones you need to get your staff to start taking over.

My favorite book on this topic is by Scott Eblin, entitled The Next Level. He also has a 360 Leadership Assessment (in which I'm certified), that aligns to the book. Essentially, his premise is that there are qualities you much "let go" and others you must "pick up" as you move into a managerial / leadership position.

While my list is influenced by Scott Eblin, it's my own version of what I've observed and learned throughout my career to date. Here are my top three:

1. When you're a leader, you need to influence behaviors and have a sense of political savvy. Some would say that you have to know how to "play the game" but I think it's more than that. It's not just about playing the game, because then it seems disingenuous. As a leader, you need to think about how to motivate others to agreement and/or action by understanding how THEY want to be communicated with, not how you want to communicate to them. Just because you have a message to get across, doesn't mean it's phrased in a way that the other folks want to hear. Find out what appeals to them, what's important to them, and work from there.
2. Delegation is key, but not the way you think. As you move up in an organization, you can no longer be the "do-er," but rather you need to learn to manage what needs to be done so that the mission is achieved. As a manager you serve as a task master, but as a leader, you serve the role of guiding the team around you and mentoring them as needed. Teach the team to fish rather than giving them the fish. And don't send them out to learn to fish on their own if you can help lead them down the right path.
3. Start to use powerful questions. Before I get to the "why", first I want to answer "what is a powerful question?" Powerful questions get people to think deeper and expand your final end game for the whole team. They are open ended, and come from a place of curiosity rather than information gathering. Often times managers ask, "When will this be done?" or, "Where are we on this?" A powerful question would be, "What are we not thinking about?" or, "How can we make this product better?" The powerful question takes you out of that task master, manager role, and into a leadership, guiding others role. The basic rule for powerful questions is to avoid a question that has a single, short answer. Also avoid "why" so that you don't subconsiously appear to assign blame for something ("Why did it go wrong?" turns into, "How could we do this better?" or, "What did we miss?").

What are some powerful questions that you think you should be asking?

Recruiting: When to Use a Non-Traditional Resume

When applying to a new job there are some steps you must follow before deciding on a resume format.

1. Understand your industry. Even if you'll be a graphics designer or a video editor, if the industry or company you're applying to is very conservative, be mindful of that and don't scare them off with too much "out of the box" thinking.
2. Understand your functional role. If your role in this company would include creative thinking, or presenting data in a clear, concise manner, keep that in  mind when choosing a resume format.
3. Read through the application requirements clearly. Sometimes they lay out exactly what is needed in the resume. Make sure you hit every single point required, and those they mark as "preferred" if you have them.

Now for types of resumes to consider.

Traditional: Typically there are 3-4 major sections: Contact Information, Experience, Education, and other information that may be relevant to that role. Under experience, the sections are generally chronological starting with the most recent work.

Functional: Instead of organizing your accomplishments by job in a chronological order, think about the 5-7 main functional or technical capabilities or competencies that the job you're applying for wants in a top candidate. Then arrange bullets under each functional/technical area regardless of which job they were for. Be sure to indicate the company or title, so they have context though!

LinkedIn Profile: This is really only for LinkedIn. I wouldn't recommend formatting a resume to look like LinkedIn and hand it to a potential employer. That said, if you're looking for a job, once you have your resume finalized, be sure to update your LinkedIn profile, too. In fact, you should updated something on the profile about once a week so that it's active and climbs to the top of the search results.

Video: A video resume is typically a short video that highlights the job applicant's skills and experience. While most of this type of resume occur with the candidate sitting or standing in front of the camera, if your potential new job requires a lot of creativity, you could use this opportunity to stand out in the medium in which you'll operate for the job itself. For example, you may add music, visuals, text, etc. However, keep in mind this almost always accompanies a traditional resume and does not stand on its own.

Infographic: An infographic resume uses visuals including images, photos, graphs, charts and other graphics to provide information about a job seeker. They are similar to traditional resumes in that they convey contact information, previous work experience, and related skills. However, infographic resumes convey this information in a highly visual format. Since most adults respond to visual graphics, there's a benefit to this version. Plus, it shows cohesive understanding of how to depict data in a way that everyone can understand, which could be particularly relevant for your type of job. For example, instead of listing previous work experience in chronological order, an infographic resume may display this information in an illustrated timeline. 1

Online Portfolios: This can be a great alternative for anyone who's in graphic design or web design. You'll still need a paper resume, but what better way to demonstrate what you can do than to show them online. Be sure to add a link to your site on your resume in the block with your contact information, and also add it to your email signature.

I'd love to hear about your thoughts or experience with non-traditional resumes!


1. About.com article by Alison Doyle